Tigers’ Personalities are Unique, Study Finds

Tiger personalities are as distinctive as those of humans, according to a new study. Find out how this clarifies the nature versus nurture debate and can improve nature conservation efforts.

I’m old enough to remember the opening of the Toronto Zoo about 50 years ago. It was a big improvement over the old Riverdale Zoo it replaced.

Covering almost 300 hectares, it’s one of the world’s largest zoos, housing over 5,000 animals representing 450 species. It’s organized geographically, and I particularly remember the Indo-Malaysia pavilion.

On a family visit there, not long after the zoo opened, we were walking past the tiger enclosure. One of the tigers seemed to find it fun to hide behind a large sign and then pounce toward the fence, startling passers-by.

Tiger Seemed Like Class Clown of the Pack

He seemed to be the class clown of the pack. The others didn’t seem to have the same enthusiasm for his little stunt.

I guess this was an example of tiger personalties. It’s a relatively new research field that started about ten years ago. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the Ranthamore Foundation teamed up to…